You don't have to pay back anything you've spent, I think.
I'm one of the members who dropped out of his doctorate. I would say listen to your gut - make an informed decision, but don't stick it out just because others say tere's a chance it might get better - only you know how your personal situation may play out. I think it could be dangerous to advise anybody on either quitting (could ruin something great) or staying on (could be wasting their lives when they should really be doing something else). As such I say weight up your options and consider how you feel about it all. Quitting mine was totally the right decision. Let us know what you decide!

Congrats! :) What are your plans now?

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Thanks, Delta! I'm amazed at how things have worked out - it was a real gamble at the time and took real balls for me to actually do something about my unhappiness and quit (especially given the state of the economy) - I reckon 80% of those who say they'll quit don't. Luckily, it looks like it's working out, for which I am so glad!
Thanks for your input and your support! Glad to have cheered you up! :)

I've had the experience of a PhD. Ended up deferring to an MSc. The PhD was obviously much more difficult to handle than the MSc - thus I have to ask - if you're finding the MSc tough, are you sure you want to do a PhD??

UPDATE:

As you know my contract runs out at the end of the year. Well I've been in the process of applying to several jobs. I've even considered becoming an engineer in the RAF - excellent pay, stable career, but obviously downsides to that one...! I submitted my application to the police last week - was very excited!! Great pension, good bunch of guys, exciting job - have been training overtime for that and am getting very fit indeed.

Of course I've been filling in forms for engineering firms. I finished the first and went to interview, and hadn't even finished the second before I'd been offered the job!! VERY pleased - it's a different sort of role than I'm used to - more international travel, talking with people etc. Good money and benefits, local to where I live. Can't believe I bagged this given the current climate! So I'm going to accept, but will keep the police going in the background as I'm still interested in that.

If I stick to this new job, it means I'll have a little time left here... I just have to write a 60 page MSc report and then I'm done! I can leave with my MSc, get this new job.. and if I like it, my plan is to do a part-time MBA over two years. So in two years' time, when I would have finished my horrendous doctorate, instead I will have lots of real work experience, an MSc, and hopefully an MBA! Things have DEFINITELY worked out for the best here. If electronics ever does go majorly downhill I will hopefully have the option of moving abroad to continue in that line of work or moving into another field with my MBA! Quitting the doctorate was the second best thing I have ever done (first best was to get my degree!)

Thanks for all your help, guys!

I think I sent you a few pms ages ago - so you stayed on your PhD but things still seem like they're going downhill? You have to decide whether you're sticking to it or not, changing your mind every few weeks will only make you feel miserable. Trust me, I went through the same thing. Good luck with your issues. (I just had a humorous thought - might as well call a PhD 'Issue Management' lol)

Excellent post, Don-eng.

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P.S. I love my culture & the arts etc!
I have to TOTALLY disagree about research into nuclear and space travel being a waste of time.... :o :o

To me, a 'proper' course is something like science, engineering (that's me), maths, medicine, veterinary, perhaps business. If those go, the country would feel it.

I wholly agree with the need to focus on more economically important courses such as maths and engineering - how else is the uk going to generate any kind of wealth... by becoming a nation of BTL landlords?
It will be a SAD day if they start charging more for University education. I come from a working class family and I can't tell you how proud I am to have graduated from Edinburgh uni with a 1st in electronics & electrical engineering. I almost never went as I was scared of the debt (which I do have, but it was worth it). I WHOLEHEARTEDLY agree that uni should be for those who have the desire, passion and determination to do well and should NOT be based upon ability to pay whatsoever.
I feel very, very strongly about this.

Here are the pros and cons I see now in hindsight (I quit) and from before I took it on (note I'm not 'having a go', this is simply the way I see it):

Pros:
- You're your own boss (ish), you choose your own hours (ish).
- You get the title of doctor if that floats your boat.
- It will help you get into academic research.
- It's guaranteed income for a while.
- You can work on something you love.
- Usual student benefits such as no council tax to pay, student discounts on this and that.
- Some great experience such as extra MSc courses if that's part of your PhD.
- Other things you might not experience elsewhere such as teaching undergrads, managing yourself in terms of time, research and self-focus.

Cons:
- Most people wont care what you're working on.
- It can be very isolating.
- It's a long commitment.
- The pay ain't great and you may be better off money-wise going straight into a grad job.
- Supervisor clashes can be a nightmare.
- There's an almost aimless nature to it, unlike your degree, where you had set goals and could graduate after passing exams. You could spend years on your PhD and not get awarded it at the end.
- Employers could see you as overqualified/too specialised when considering other jobs.
- Compared to an American PhD (in engineering, anyway) the British PhDs seem more like MScs!
- Very few lecturer/professor positions to fight for.
- The academic culture (paper reading & writing, brain never able to switch off from research etc) (this could be a positive if you like it!)
- The people you work with may be social recluses and can impact on how you interact with others.
- Like everything, it can cause you ill health, as has been pointed out. It's a massive undertaking so expect to feel low at some point, most do, I reckon.

I've many more pros and cons that just don't spring to mind right now. Overall it was a bad experience for me despite excelling at uni & post-uni project work. Read all the replies and take it all in - hope you do well :)

Good points Ant, spot on - big part of the reason I left mine. Didn't see it helping my employability and disliked academia - also never got on with my supervisor! Let's face it, unless you want to do research you'd probably be best going into the world of work - I think I've INCREASED my chances and have met more than one doctor now who wouldn't recommend pursuing research.

Ended up deferring to MSc but unfortunately my old supervisor is still down as having to mark my MSc dissertation now - he thinks there are no more ties! TBH I don't know if I'd want him to be marking it, let alone be involved... then is it up to me to find a new supervisor?? The institute in charge don't seem to have a grip on the supervisor situation - total farce. No idea what I should do now - I have contacted the people in charge to tell them about the supervisor issues.

Wish I'd just got a job straight after getting my degree!

I applied for a job a month ago - telephone interview 2 weeks later, interview week after that and should be getting back to me in the next 8 days. I dropped out of my PhD, this isn't for a postdoc - no idea how long that should take.

Sounds like you're going to stay on. Good luck! I'd say a good 80% of people decide to stay on after having doubts (plucked that number out of the air based on those I know). Make sure it's for you though - would you like to keep doing this the rest of your life? I couldn't! Good luck whatever you decide to do :)

Hey man, I'm from Edinburgh!
I did my undergrad there and also attempted a doctorate (quitting in the end!). Just do whatever's right for you, life's too short! If you want to work in academia after the PhD then do it - otherwise be with your girlfriend and get a job! I'm back in proper work and it's just where I belong - took me a while to realise!
You'll know what's right as after a little while, if you're still feeling miserable, then it's probably not for you. Maybe give it some time, think it over. Don't make any rash decisions, just do what makes you feel right.